The Bible

[OBW]

Interesting question. It is referred to, in part, as the law. Or the law and prophets. But that was not everything that we call the OT. And it says nothing about the content of what we now call the NT.

But in the OT there are references to the law. And to the scrolls. Similarly in the NT. And in addition there is reference to the scripture. But what that encompasses is not entirely defined.

I am not suggesting that the Bible is suspect or less than meaningful in its use and application as the revelation of God and his work with man. But the Bible really says nothing about itself. Even the "all scripture is inspire by God" statement does not define what is scripture. It only tells us something about its character. We have collected certain books together and called them the Bible. And I believe that they are what we need and the collecting process was inspired. But does that turn everything about it into "scripture" in the sense that Paul spoke about to Timothy?

I find nothing to be rejected about the Bible. But if it is intended to be the end-all of God's dictated revelation, then why, if slavery was so heinous as to be required to be abolished, did he allow it to not say so? The answer is probably that the purpose of the Bible was not to answer every question and right every wrong. It was to direct us to God to believe in him and follow him to live a different life.

And it wasn't to get us to understand and/or fight over what it means to be a "trinity." Or preach a line-in-the-sand salvation. Or preach a confessional salvation. Or insist that this day or that day is the day to meet.

Reality is that the Bible says virtually nothing about itself as a whole. Just about scripture in an undefined way, and about certain parts of what we have included in the Bible. Even the warning in Revelation about not adding to or taking away from the "this prophecy" is likely only referring to itself, not any other part of what we call the Bible (because much of it did not yet exist. And if they did not yet exist, then they were clearly added to the whole of app prophecy.)

There are plenty of statements or extensions that can be argued. But none of them concern the whole of what we call the Bible.

The Bible doesn't even refer to itself as the word of God (and definitely not the Word of God).